    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
    [December 6, 2004]
    [Pages 3046-3049]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following Discussions With President Ghazi al-Ujayl al-
    Yawr of the Iraqi Interim
    Government and an Exchange With Reporters
    December 6, 2004

        President Bush. Mr. President, welcome to the Oval Office. Last time
    we met was in Georgia, and now you're here in Washington, DC. I'm really
    honored you're here.
        First, I want to thank you for your courage and your vision for a
    united and free Iraq. The President and I just had a great conversation
    about the future of Iraq. He can speak for himself, but I came away that
    I'm talking to a man who has got great confidence in the Iraqi people's
    capacity to self-govern and a great belief in the fact that it's going
    to happen.
        We talked about a variety of issues. We talked about how the United
    States can continue to stand with those who believe in democracy. We
    talked about the security situation. We talked about the election
    process. And I assured the President that my comments about the need to
    have elections was real and genuine. I believe it's necessary for the
    Iraqi people to vote on January the 30th because it provides an
    opportunity for people to participate in democracy. It'll send the clear
    message to the few people in Iraq that are trying to stop the march
    toward democracy that they cannot stop elections. It will give the Iraqi
    people a chance to become invested in the future of that vital country.

    [[Page 3047]]

        And the President can speak for himself on the subject, but he was
    very reassuring to me, as he was yesterday in his comments to the
    American people.
        All in all, Mr. President, I am really proud you're here. I look
    forward to working with you.
        President Yawr. Thank you.
        President Bush. And I look forward to achieving the common
    objective, which is an Iraq that is free and peaceful.
        President Yawr. Thank you very much, sir. I've been honored this
    morning to meet the President of the United States--after all, we in
    Iraq are in debt for the United States for--and the courageous
    leadership of President Bush of liberating Iraq from a dynasty, a
    villain. Right now we are faced with the armies of darkness who are--who
    have no objective but to undermine the political process and incite
    civil war in Iraq. But I want to assure the whole world that this will
    never, ever happen, that we in Iraq are committed to move along. After
    all these sacrifices, there is no way on Earth that we will let it go in
    vain.
        This is very important. Victory is not only possible; it's a fact.
    We can see it. It's there. We are committed. We see that we have all the
    reasons to prevail. We see that our enemy is an enemy that has only a
    short time because they have no roots in the Iraqi society, they have no
    ideology that they can sell to Iraq or the whole world.
        There is unfairness by calling them Sunni insurgents--these are not
    Sunni. These are a mix of people who have one thing in common, hatred to
    the Iraqi society and hatred to democracy, people who are trying to stop
    us from having our first elections. We in Iraq, the whole Iraqi society
    are willing to participate in elections. Nobody in Iraq wants to boycott
    the elections, except for some politicians--but I'm talking about the
    mass public of Iraq. They all are very anxious to go and cast their
    votes and practice, for the first time in 45 years, their right and duty
    of voting for whoever they feel confidence in.
        This is very important. I just came here to tell the President of
    the United States and the American public that we in Iraq are very
    appreciative for all the sacrifices, that this is a job that we see has
    honor and even a duty that we have to make everybody free. In Iraq,
    these people are trying to kidnap people in streets and sell them from
    one gang to another. This is slavery, and shame on anybody who can
    condone to slavery. We are going to face them. We are determined. And
    God bless you, sir.
        President Bush. Thank you very much. Good job.
        President Yawr. Thank you.
        President Bush. We'll answer a couple of questions in the spirit of
    democracy.

    Attack on U.S. Consulate in Jeddah/Upcoming Iraqi Elections

        Q. Mr. President, who do you think was behind today's attacks in
    Saudi Arabia, and what do you think was their motive? And on Iraq, if I
    could ask a little bit more, how can Iraqis feel secure about going to
    the polls on January 30th when there is so much violence and bloodshed?
        President Bush. First, on the incident in Saudi Arabia, I want to
    thank the Saudi Government for responding as quickly as they did. We
    send our heartfelt condolences to the Saudi National Guard that died in
    the defense of our consulate. I want to thank the marines who are doing
    their job so splendidly. We will find out more about who caused the
    attacks. As I understand it, several of the attackers died, but several
    were captured by the Saudi Government, and I'm confident they will share
    the information with us.
        The attacks in Saudi Arabia remind us that the terrorists are still
    on the move. They're interested in affecting the will of free countries.
    They want us to leave Saudi Arabia. They want us to leave Iraq. They
    want us to grow timid and weary in the face of their willingness to kill
    randomly

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    and kill innocent people. And that's why these elections in Iraq are
    very important.
        You remember all the dire threats prior to the elections in
    Afghanistan. People said, ``If you vote in Afghanistan, you'll be
    killed.'' But the desire of people to vote overwhelmed the capacity of
    the terrorists. And this is the same message we're getting here in Iraq,
    that people who are willing to blow up people by the use of car bombs
    will do anything they can to stop democracy. And there is a reason why,
    because a free society in Iraq will be a major defeat for the
    terrorists.
        And I think that the capacity of these killers to stop an election
    would send a wrong signal to the world and send a wrong signal to the
    Iraqi people, themselves. And the President has said that people want to
    vote, and I believe they ought to have a chance to vote. And we'll do
    everything we can, working with the Iraqis, to make the election sites
    as secure as possible. That's why the commanders on the ground have
    asked for additional troops, to help with the election process, and I
    granted them that request, Mr. President. And our commanders, working
    with Ambassador Negroponte and the Iraqi
    security forces, believe they can do a lot to make these polling places
    secure. You can never guarantee 100-percent security.
        But Iraqi people have a chance to say to the world, ``We choose
    democracy over terrorism.'' And that's going to be defining moment in
    that country.
        Are you Al Jazeera?

    Democracy in the Middle East

        Q. Al Arabiyya.
        President Bush. I mean, Al Arabiyya. Welcome.
        Q. Mr. President, I know that the democracy is your major concern in
    Iraq and in the Middle East. Despite all difficulties, security
    difficulties we see in Iraq, are you confident that this election will
    produce a true democracy in Iraq and then will help your project in the
    Middle East?
        President Bush. Yes. I appreciate that question. I am confident that
    when peoples are allowed to vote and express their will, peaceful
    societies emerge. And I'm confident that the process that has been set
    up by the international community to allow the people of Iraq to express
    their will is a major step in democracy in the greater Middle East. I
    believe the Iraqi people have got the capacity and the desire to self-
    govern. And these elections will be a very important moment in the
    advance of democracy.
        The American people must understand that democracy just doesn't
    happen overnight. It is a process. It is an evolution. After all, look
    at our own history. We had great principles enunciated in our
    Declarations of Independence and our Constitution, yet we had slavery
    for 100 years. It takes a while for democracy to take hold. And this is
    a major first step in a society which enables people to express their
    beliefs and their opinions.
        I also believe that success in Iraq will breed success elsewhere. I
    believe it is very possible for there to be a Palestinian state with the
    institutions of democracy in place that will allow for leadership to
    emerge that listens to the demands of the Palestinian people. And when
    such a state takes place, it will make peace much more possible with the
    Israelis. And so in a second term, not only will I work with our Iraqi
    friends to help them achieve democracy that the President has just said
    is the overwhelming desire of most people, but I'll also spend time and
    efforts to help the Palestinian people grow their own state and own
    democracy so we can achieve peace.
        Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].

    Intelligence Reform Legislation

        Q. Senator Warner has raised some concerns about the chain of
    command issue in the intelligence reform bill. Is this bill going to
    have to wait until next year?
        President Bush. I certainly hope the bill gets to my desk soon. I
    believe we have

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    addressed the concerns of, by far, the majority of Members of both the
    House and the Senate. As we speak, we're working with the key Members to
    address concerns. I call upon the Congress to pass the intelligence
    bill. It is a good piece of legislation. It is a necessary piece of
    legislation. It's a piece of legislation that is important for the
    security of our country.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:35 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to U.S. Ambassador to Iraq John D.
    Negroponte.